


A Home

by Heavisi



Category: Steven Universe - Fandom
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Apocalypse, Dark, F/F, F/M, Zombies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-21
Updated: 2015-07-30
Packaged: 2018-04-10 09:35:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4386776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heavisi/pseuds/Heavisi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The gems and a group of survivors must work together to survive amidst creatures that deliver a fate worse than death.</p><p>-DISCONTINUED-</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Decision

It’d been months since Steven had looked at the sky without an overwhelming feeling of fear and dread. There wasn’t anything wrong with the sky in particular, of course. But it was the fact that every time he climbed the temple to get fresh air, or went for a walk around the beach, he had a full view of Beach City, and it reminded him of what it used to be.  
The streets were empty now, and Steven didn’t like to roam too far or too long, simply because he felt nostalgic. It hurt, to be nostalgic in this way. The survivors of the sudden disaster had either all left to find hope in a new town, or they had banded together in the temple, living out their days, trying to decide whether or not it would be better to just leave. Connie and Dr. Maheswaran testified that the same fate had befallen their own town, and that Mr. Maheswaran’s absence could serve as their alibi. They didn’t talk about it after that day. No one knew if leaving would be better. No one knew if it was worth it. No one knew, and that’s what was most terrifying.  
There had been talk of living on another planet, even, but most of the humans in the group had obvious problems with that. Connie’s mother absolutely refused, reasoning that it’d be too dangerous to do so, and even though Pearl was insistent that it was safe, everyone rejected the idea, especially Greg.  
Steven sat on his bunk bed, swinging his feet back and forth in a melancholy, tired fashion. He watched Lars and Sadie in the kitchen, sipping tea Pearl had made, trying to keep calm. They had asked a few times if Steven had wanted any, but he declined. It wasn’t really, well, his cup of tea. He glanced at his television; he was too agitated to play video games, and the games he did play always reminded him of that first day on the beach, when it all started. He felt helpless now, too, even as a gem.  
Amethyst acted like it didn’t bother her, but Steven knew it did. She was always talking with either Pearl or Garnet about what to do, and although she kept it hidden around him, he could tell she was more worried than anyone else.  
Nobody knew if the contagion could spread to any of the gems, either, although Steven knew full well it could infect humans. He’d seen it happen, and he’d hated it. There had been mornings he’d woken up, and for a blissful moment he’d be in a dream haze, and wouldn’t remember anything. Then there’d be a rush of consciousness, and he’d be dizzy and sick from the bad taste it left in his mouth.  
Everyone had been dancing around the probability that there were more of them in town than the survivors knew. Just killing a few were enough to put everyone on edge, suddenly making everyone tight-lipped and afraid.  
Steven didn’t like being unsure, and neither did anyone else. He looked up from his twiddling thumbs, catching the worried look of Sadie before she quickly turned her attention back to Lars. They both stopped their whispering. “Where’s Pearl?” Steven asked, choosing to ignore their obvious hushed comments of him, climbing down from his loft.  
Sadie cleared her throat. “I think she’s out with Garnet. Something about a communication hub?” Lars took a sip of his tea.  
Steven nodded slightly, making his way to the sofa by the window, where Connie and her mother sat. They were both holding books, but they had been talking in quiet voices. They stopped when Steven approached them.  
“Hey, Steven,” Connie said, closing the book she was reading on her lap.  
Steven smiled weakly, climbing up on a cushion. “Hi, Connie. Hi, Dr. Maheswaran.” Dr. Maheswaran nodded at his greeting. He didn’t know what else to say, so he didn’t. He gazed up at the ceiling, thinking of Vidalia and Onion, back at their own home. The last time he had gone to see them with Amethyst, Sour Cream and Yellowtail had left to see if there were any islands they could wait out the disease on. They hadn’t returned, but Vidalia was holding up alright on her own. He looked to the couch, where his father was sleeping. He had been sleeping a lot lately. Steven wondered if it was because there wasn’t really anything else to do, or because he could escape this reality through his dreams.  
“Steven,” Connie suddenly asked, setting her book aside. Steven looked up at her. “You look really tired. Are you getting enough sleep?”  
He rubbed his eyes, not sure how to answer. He opened his mouth just as the warp pad activated, and Garnet and Pearl walked from it. “Garnet, Pearl!” He exclaimed, sliding from the sofa and hurrying over to them. Everyone looked up in anticipation, and Greg roused a little in his sleep, eventually sitting up and rubbing his eyes.  
Pearl cleared her throat, looking to Garnet. Garnet just stared back, and shook her head. Pearl sighed. “Everyone, we’ve come to a decision.”  
“Wait, Amethyst should hear this, too!” Steven suggested, and Garnet nodded.  
“He’s right,” she said.  
Steven ran over to the gem door, jumping slightly from the warp pad, excited to finally hear good news. “Amethyst!” He called, knocking loudly on the door. It didn’t take long for her gem to light up, and Steven backed away from the door as it opened.  
“What’s going on?” Amethyst yawned, stepping into the room.  
“How can you be sleeping at a time like this?” Pearl fussed, crossing her arms. Greg blinked from the couch and hurriedly folded the blanket he was just sleeping under, mussing his hair until it was passable. Amethyst narrowed her eyes, about to snap back, but Garnet held up her hand.  
“We’ve got no time for this. Pearl.” She said, gesturing to let her know it was time to speak. Lars and Sadie put down their drinks, walking around the kitchen island, and Connie and Dr. Maheswaran moved into the living room, standing idly by the door. Greg cracked his neck a little loudly, and chuckled nervously when everyone turned to look at him. He cleared his throat and sat at attention for the news.  
“Well,” Pearl started, and Steven noticed that her hands were shaking a little. “We gems have decided that it’s safe here now, but Garnet pointed out that resources won’t last forever if we stay.” Everyone murmured their agreement. “So, we’ve come up with two options, and we’ll leave the majority vote up to you all.” She looked around the room before continuing. “Plan A: We can send out a resource party, and collect the goods you all need to survive here. The party would, of course, be us gems.” Steven didn’t like that idea very much, because it would put the gems in danger, and everyone else would be left here to their own defenses. But he didn’t say anything. Pearl took a breath to steady her shaking hands for a bit before continuing. “Or, we can gather our things and leave Beach City altogether, joining the others and finding other resources we can use.”  
Everyone was quiet. Those were hard choices. After a while, Pearl spoke up. “We can, of course, give you time to think about these things. We understand that these are difficult decisions to make.”  
Amethyst was quiet until then. “How much time are we talking?”  
“We can’t give you more than two days’ time to think about it. We’re running out of resources, and that means that those things are, too. If we stay put it’s only a matter of time until they find us.”  
That sent chills down everyone’s spines. “She doesn’t mean to scare you all,” Pearl added, trying to calm everyone down. “I’m sure you can decide within two days. We gems will go through with whatever you decide, since you are the majority.”  
Dr. Maheswaran cleared her throat. “If we choose to evacuate, where would we go, exactly?”  
It was a good question, Steven thought. Lars chimed in. “If we have to go somewhere, we’d need to go really far away.”  
“How much farther away can you get than the ocean?” Greg wondered, scratching his head.  
“We’d need to go somewhere where we can get medical supplies.” Connie said, rubbing the bridge of her nose.  
“And food, and a safe shelter.” Sadie said.  
Soon, everyone was talking over each other, murmuring their concerns and suggesting ideas. Steven watched curiously, blinking. He had an idea, but everyone else’s ideas seemed much better than his.  
“Steven,” Garnet suddenly said, and the chatter quieted down. Steven looked up. “What do you think?”  
The air suddenly got thick with apprehension. Steven felt like he couldn’t breathe, and his throat felt dry. “I think, uh…” He said, looking to his father for comfort.  
“Maybe we shouldn’t put Steven on the spot like that. He’s been through enough as it is,” Greg said, catching the hint, and Steven, relieved, felt his shoulders relax.  
Pearl clasped her hands behind her back. “Maybe you’re right,” she agreed, and the room started quietly murmuring again. “The gems and I will be in our rooms if you need us.” The room collectively nodded in understanding, and each of them retreated behind their own gem doors.  
“Steven, are you okay?” Connie asked, moving to his side. Greg walked over, too, and Dr. Maheswaran looked on.  
“I’m fine. I think I’m just tired.” Steven said, voice weak. Greg was right; he’d been through a lot. He’d seen a lot of friends get hurt, and he’d had to grow up fast to survive. “I’m going to take a nap.”  
“Alright, buddy. Let’s get you upstairs,” Greg said, holding out his hand. Steven looked at it before taking it, and Greg picked him up on his shoulders. “You’ve had it tough these past few months. It’s alright to be tired, champ.”  
Steven remained quiet until his father had tucked him into bed. “Dad?”  
“Yeah, sport?”  
“I don’t always want to be the baby of the group. Isn’t there some way I can… I don’t know, pull my weight?”  
Greg looked down at Steven sympathetically. “Steven, nobody expects you to be calm and collected after what you’ve been through and seen. It’s alright to be confused; heck, most, if not all of us, are. But don’t worry about a thing,” Greg said, leaning close. “I’ll always be here, and so will the gems. And Connie, and Lars, Sadie- all of them are here for you. That’s what friends are for.”  
He patted Steven’s shoulder gently before closing the blinds on his window, shutting out the burning sunset sky as it drowned into the horizon, sending its last sparkling words out onto the waves. Steven felt a little better after that, and closed his eyes as his father descended the steps to his loft. He fell gently into a deep sleep, pushing the thoughts of the fiasco at hand to the back of his mind.


	2. Worst is Yet to Come

Sleeping was difficult for Steven, to say the least. Despite several attempts to get comfortable and stay that way throughout the restless night, his body kept telling him that something less than pleasant was approaching. It wouldn’t let him rest. He eventually gave up, rubbing at his tired eyes as he sat up in bed, anxious and uneasy.   
            In his dream, he’d be drowning in a red liquid. It filled his lungs and he’d been grappling through the thickness of it to reach surface, but there didn’t seem to be one. All he could see was red, as far as one could possibly imagine. He had felt as though even if he’d managed to find the surface, he would see a vast ocean of the substance. It smelled like the coins he kept in his piggy bank, and it tasted like metal.  
            Steven gently rubbed his temples to rid himself of the imagery, and softly slid from his tangled bed covers onto the rug. Descending the stairs, he saw that Lars and Sadie had fallen asleep together on the sofa. Connie and Dr. Maheswaran were sharing the longer cushions by the door. Steven’s stomach felt knotted, somehow. He thought about eating, but that just gave him unpleasant thoughts. He decided that, in these cases, talking to his father might be best. He threw on his hoodie over his pajamas and slowly opened the door, careful not to wake anyone.   
            The sand felt cold between his toes as he stepped from the stairs onto the slope leading to the shore. He spotted his father’s van to the side, resting in the shadow of the temple. Steven looked around once before climbing down the pathway, landing himself at the back of the vehicle. “Dad,” Steven whispered, gently knocking on the huge double doors.   
            As he thought, that wasn’t even to rouse him. “Dad.” He said a little louder, knocking a bit more forcefully. The only thing to reply was the echoes of his own noise, and the crickets nestled in the few patches of grass here and there. Steven began to get a little worried after a while. “Dad!” He didn’t yell, not yet, anyway. He was still shaken up from the last time he’d been a bit too noisy, and things got out of hand. He kept it low, and walked around to the driver’s side window. It was up, but he wasn’t quite tall enough to knock on it. Taking a deep breath, and looking around once more, he banged twice on the doors, hard.   
            Waiting with baited breath, Steven stood poised, fist in the air, ready to strike again. The night air chilled him a little, and he found himself shivering.  
            He wasn’t waiting long. The double doors flew open with force, and Steven jumped back, staring with wide eyes as his father emerged, holding a waffle iron. Greg quickly realized that there wasn’t a threat, and gasped. “Steven! What are you doing out here all by yourself?” He put his weapon back down by his mattress, reaching a hand out to Steven to help him into the back of the van.  
            “I couldn’t sleep,” he said, taking his father’s hand and jumping into the van. Greg shut the doors behind him as Steven made himself comfortable inside, turning on the small lantern hanging from the ceiling, providing a little light.  
            Steven had been staying up later and later since the epidemic, partly because he was scared of sleep and partly because the night made him anxious in general. He could never tell what was beyond his field of vision. Connie told him that those kinds of fears were normal when he confided in her about it, but he still wasn’t entirely sure. He hadn’t told any of the other gems about it, because he knew they wouldn’t have any real experience not being able to sleep. They didn’t sleep, not really, and when they did, they didn’t have any trouble.  
            “Sorry to hear that, bud. Is there something bothering you?” Greg asked, sitting across from Steven, making the van rock a little. There was a pause, and Greg rubbed his head. “I guess that was a dumb question.”  
            There was another pause, but it was a little more peaceful than the last one. Steven listened to the crickets outside a while before speaking again. “What do you think we should do?” Steven turned to look at his father. “About the plans that Pearl talked about.”  
            Greg blinked, looking at the array of music albums next to the iron he’d just held. “I think we should do whatever you think is right. The gems told me I shouldn’t mess with magic stuff.”   
            “I don’t think it’s… _magic_ stuff, dad.” Steven answered thoughtfully, gazing past his father’s head to look at the night stars through the windshield. “I don’t know what it is, but I don’t think it has anything to do with the gems.” The gentle crash of waves on the shore did a little to help him calm down from the dream he’d had earlier.  
            He didn’t really know what to say so, like his son, he said nothing for a while, and they listened to the sounds of the beach together. The van provided peace of mind for the two of them, and they sat there, enjoying the feeling of protection. “We’ll all figure something out. Together. Something better,” Greg encouraged, nodding, as if he were trying to convince himself that the words that came from his own mouth were true.  
            Suddenly, a large noise startled both of them, causing Greg to reach instinctively for Steven. They both recognized it as the screen door to the house banging open and shut, but Steven was too frightened to look and see what caused it. Greg held Steven’s shoulder tightly, and Steven grasped the blankets in his hands.   
            “Steven!” He heard a familiar voice cry.   
            “Pearl?” Steven blinked, then looked to Greg.  
            “Steven, where are you? Steven!” Pearl’s voice, dripping with worry, reached them from the house.  
            “Pearl!” Steven got up immediately, turning towards the double doors near the back of the van and pushing them open. He almost fell onto the sand of the beach, but caught himself at the end and hit the ground running, looking up to see Pearl descending the stairs of the house. Greg followed, peering his head from behind one of the doors of the van.  
            Pearl looked up upon hearing his voice, and her face, twisted with anxiety, relaxed a little upon seeing that he was uninjured. “Steven, I was so worried!” She exclaimed, running to him and kneeling before him. “Are you alright? No bruises, abrasions, cuts, broken bones-“  
            “I’m fine, Pearl! What’s wrong?” Steven insisted, gently brushing away her shaking hands.  
            Pearl took a small breath of relief. “My goodness, you startled me! You weren’t in your bed when I went to check up on you, I thought something had happened-” she interrupted herself, turning back to him. “Well, I’m so relieved that you’re not hurt. What were you doing out so late, it’s dangerous to-” Her wandering eyes landed on Greg, who had been sitting on the edge of the back, watching. He smiled sheepishly, and her gaze narrowed slightly. “I see. Steven, please don’t do this again, you know how dangerous it is now, and it’s much safer in the house, with us gems to protect you.”  
            “Dad can protect me just fine. He’s got his lucky waffle iron!” He laughed, pointing in the direction of the van. Pearl pulled a face at Greg when he chuckled and waved.  
            “A… waffle iron. Yes.” Pearl blinked, turning her attention back to the matter at hand. “Steven, come along, it’s much too late for you to be wandering around.”  
            Steven pouted. “I want to stay with dad!”  
            “Steven, I just said that-”  
            “It’ll be alright, Pearl! This van has been through a lot; I think it can handle Steven for a night.” Greg said, patting the floor lovingly.  
            “Yeah, come on, Pearl.” Steven pleaded, staring up at Pearl.  
            Pearl seemed at a real loss as to what to do. She looked from Greg to Steven, then sighed. “Fine, but for goodness sake, _please_ keep him safe, Greg.”   
            They all jumped a little when the sound of the screen door caught them off guard again. At its entrance was Connie, looking down at them from the railing. “Is everything alright? Did something happen?” She asked sleepily, smoothing out her hair a little.   
            Pearl gave one final sigh and ruffled Steven’s hair, headed towards the stairs again. “Everything’s alright, Connie. All of you should be asleep.”  
            Steven waved at Connie, and Connie smiled weakly. “Come on, Steven,” Greg said, gesturing Steven over to the van. Steven gave Connie one last smile before jumping into the van, listening to Pearl guide Connie back inside the house. The double doors were closed behind him. “Get comfortable and get some sleep, champ.” Greg smiled, tucking Steven in and settling in himself with another blanket and a pillow propped against the wall.   
            “Goodnight, dad.” Steven said, and he felt himself being lifted away; his mental state was improving, and he hoped that soon he’d be back to his normal self, fighting baddies with the gems and cracking jokes, like always. He wished for the day that he could be of help to the team again, and he wished for the day when Lars and Sadie could work at the donut shop again, the arcade would be busy again, and a day that he could say that he felt fine without having to fake a smile. He hadn’t felt like his usual self in so long.   
            The heavy sound of his father’s breathing and the chirps of the crickets outside helped him drift away. His body felt fluffy, somehow. He was slowly sinking, and then rising at the same time. It was swirly. Swirly… like whipped ice-cream. Where was the cherry…?  
            Steven didn’t know how long he’d been asleep. When he started to wake up, his body felt heavy, like he had been in a coma for a thousand years and was finally gaining consciousness again. Blurred colors filled his sleepy vision. Steven forgot where he was, but his body was too heavy to move. The blanket he was wrapped in smelled nice.   
            He woke up like he feel asleep; slowly, then all at once. Greg was not where he was when Steven fell asleep. The waffle iron was gone. His body was numb with drowsiness before, but now it was paralyzed with fear. He began to sweat and shake, and his throat couldn’t even manage the words “Dad” or “Where are you”. It was dawn. Sunlight beamed through the windshield and onto his pale, nervous countenance.   
            After the initial shock, Steven, slowly, managed to tell his body to move him upright, until he was standing. He turned towards the familiar double doors again, staring. He touched them before starting to ease them open, turning the handles.  
            They flew open, and Steven screamed, jumping back in fear. He landed on his pillow, and started throwing anything he could get his hands on at the figure in the doorway: a stuffed animal, a headset, a cassette tape.  
            “Whoa, Steven, it’s me!” Greg shouted over Steven’s screams of terror, and Steven clutched the handheld vacuum in his hand, pausing in his frenzy. His vision focused, and Steven saw that it was, in fact, his father standing in the doorway. “What’s gotten into you?” Greg asked, putting down the plate of waffles in his hand and climbing into the van.  
            Steven sat, shaken, pressed against the back of the driver’s seat in the corner. Greg gave him a quizzical, worried look before reaching for him, holding him in his arms. Steven let him, and tried to still his rapidly beating heart. There was movement outside, and Garnet appeared behind Greg, followed by Pearl and Amethyst. “What’s going on?” Garnet asked, fists clenched at her sides.  
            Greg sighed, patting Steven on his head. “I just scared Steven a little by accident, is all.”  
            Pearl’s expression softened a little, and everyone remained quiet a little while. The door to the house opened again, and Sadie’s voice echoed down to them. “What happened? Is everyone alright?”   
            Amethyst spoke up. “Everything’s fine! Steven just freaked out.”  
            Pearl smacked Amethyst sternly on the arm. “Amethyst!”  
            “Breakfast is ready, you guys.” Lars said next. “I mean, I know you guys don’t eat. I think. But for us _humans_ -”  
            Steven shook his head, reminding himself he wasn’t in any danger with the gems around. “Okay, Lars!” Steven stood up, brushing off Greg’s arms. He made his way from the van, and the gems parted for him.   
            He felt odd, like he didn’t belong in his own body. Like this wasn’t his life. It felt real, but it felt like someone else’s reality. Swallowing hard, he ascended the stairs where Lars and Sadie were waiting for him. At the landing, Sadie moved towards him, as if to hug him, but stopped herself short and handed him the plate of waffles in her hand instead. Steven smiled in appreciation, and Lars gave him an odd expression, as if to ask “are you really okay”. Steven smiled at him, too, and turned to look at the gems and his father, gathered below.  
            “Together breakfast time!”

**Author's Note:**

> See character designs for the survivor group here: http://ferriswhale.tumblr.com/post/124616316684/read-the-fanfction-here
> 
> UPDATE: Hey guys! I've tried writing the next chapter over and over again, but unfortunately, I've lost inspiration for it. So for now, this series is on PERMANENT HIATUS.


End file.
